Incumbent Mayor Keith Pekau called it a “Mayoral Forum.”
Challenger Jim Dodge called it a “political stunt.”
Whatever it was called, Pekau spent 90 minutes talking on Friday morning, March 7, in a room at the Orland Park Library with more than 60 people in attendance and an audience of those watching on a livestream while Dodge did not attend.
Ah, the live stream.
This was the bone of contention throughout this whole ordeal. The Orland Park Chamber of Commerce wanted to host the event but did not want it live streamed.
Pekau said he did not plan on attending unless it was live streamed so that the people could see the whole debate and not just edited pieces and the chamber cancelled the event.
Pekau, however, kept the forum going and was ready for a debate under the chamber’s rules with the exception of the live streaming issue.
He invited Dodge.
Dodge did not take him up on it.
“How does one attend a cancelled event?” Dodge said in a statement days before the event took place. “We understand the chamber’s decision was made due to Keith’s unwillingness to adhere to their established format and guidelines which set forth what could have been a constructive and informative event for the business community.
“This obvious political stunt from a flailing campaign clearly reflects the mayor’s agenda rather than the collective interests of our community.”
So, Pekau had free rein and threw more than a few zingers and jabs Dodge’s way for his absence. He also spoke about a variety of topics including his background and answered several questions from the crowd, which were written and read.
Many questions surrounded a claim that Pekau was going to take a pension after he was done being mayor and he vehemently denied it.
One of the questions surrounded a scenario of an April 1 election that finds a mix of Dodge’s people and Pekau’s people making up the new board. When there was a mixed board in 2017, there was a lot of hostility and controversy.
Pekau said when he was elected in 2017, he was treated poorly by ex-Mayor Dan McLaughin’s people.
“I would not treat them as I was treated,” he said if any of Dodge’s people are elected. “I was accused of crimes every night. You don’t treat people like that.”
He pointed out that in the 2021 rematch election that he won vs. McLaughlin, Patrick O’Sullivan, who ran on McLaughlin’s slate as clerk, was elected and served three years before moving out of town.
“I think Pat O’Sullivan will tell you he was treated very well by the board when he was brought in,” Pekau said. We have a history of treating people fairly when they are brought in.”
Honest man!
Wanting the event to be live-streamed so it couldn’t be cut and edited by someone else was a most reasonable request, and the residents wanted it also. The fact that the other candidate refused to come was not okay. Is that acknowledging that they wanted to edit and snip the event to suit their purposes? This mayor has been the most open and transparent person we’ve ever seen.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Issues Statement on March 7 Mayoral Forum Cancellation and Subsequent Communication
Orland Park, IL – (March 6, 2025) – The Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors wishes to address the recent contention surrounding the cancellation of the March 7 Mayoral Forum, announced in our Facebook post dated February 24.
The decision to cancel the Forum was not taken lightly and followed extensive discussions and a vote by the full Board. We remain committed to hosting events that promote open exchange of ideas and showcase the candidates’ visions for Orland Park as they pertain to our members and the business community. However, it was essential for discussions to occur in a fair and impartial environment.
In advance of the event, we outlined clear and non-negotiable conditions aimed at ensuring this impartiality. We were left with no viable option but to cancel the event when these conditions were not met. We understand that this decision may have disappointed some in our community, but we firmly believe that integrity and fairness must be prioritized in our political processes.
Additionally, we are disheartened by the recent criticisms directed at our CEO by an elected official in public statements. Our CEO has consistently demonstrated commendable professionalism, dedication, and integrity in serving the Chamber. Her work over the past year has been characterized by her commitment to facilitating open dialogues among all parties involved. Criticisms aimed at her personally are not only misplaced but undermine the nonpartisan role that the Chamber seeks to uphold.
We also feel compelled to respond to uncalled-for remarks aimed at one of our Board members, who has consistently demonstrated professionalism and dedication to the greater good of the community and political neutrality. This Board member has focused on collaboration and community interests. Our Board stands united in support of both our CEO and Board member, as they both exemplify the values we promote as a Chamber.
As a Board, we are resolute in our commitment to political impartiality. We will continue to serve as a platform for dialogue and growth within our community, free from partisan influences. Our mission is to support local businesses and create a favorable environment for economic development, and we will not waver in these principles. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. We encourage community members to reach out to us with any questions or concerns, as we value open dialogue and transparency in our efforts.
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Event was canceled and not even on the library event page.
Very strange that the Chamber cancelled the event that they were to initially host, just bc Mayor Pekau wanted utmost transparency by live streaming the event. That really disappoints me about the Chamber. I have asked several questions of the Dodge team on their Facebook page over the last several weeks. They don’t appear to want to answer “anything”, whether it is on their page or in a forum like this that Dodge could have attended in spite of the Chamber cancellation. In the meantime you have Mayor Pekau who never stops talking and answering questions. The mayoral choice this round seems to be clear. Transparency………….or literally, a major “Dodge”. Pun intended.
He wanted it live streamed so he could manipulate the narrative of the debate before it was released to the public.
He has a huge fundraising advantage and has far more election resources than the challengers. Pekau would have flooded social media with clips and prepared soundbites to dictate the narrative of the debate before the public had a fair chance to see what happened.
It’s 2025 people, this request wasn’t about transparency. His campaign would be blasting clips out throughout the debate ao few would even bother watching .
The chamber had their terms, Pekau bailed on them, end of story.
Pekau’s argument for live streaming is faulty. Here’s why:
1. The Original Video is Still Intact – The chamber of commerce, as a neutral body, is recording the debate and will release the video immediately after. This ensures that an unaltered version exists, making it easy to verify whether any edits were made by others afterward. There is no indication that the chamber would alter the content.
2. Livestreaming Doesn’t Prevent Editing – Even if the candidate livestreams the debate, others can still manipulate, edit, or selectively clip portions of either the livestream or the official recording. A livestream does not stop bad actors from misrepresenting what happened.
3. Motive Behind Livestreaming – The candidate might actually be trying to control the narrative in real time, rather than ensuring authenticity. His team could add commentary, frame certain moments differently, or present the debate in a way that favors him.
4. Immediate Release Minimizes Risk – If the chamber were withholding the video for a long period, there might be some concern about potential tampering. But since the video will be released immediately, there’s little opportunity for manipulation.
In short, the argument assumes that the official recording is at risk of being altered, when in reality, the immediate release eliminates that risk. Livestreaming doesn’t solve anything but may serve his own strategic interests rather than protecting the integrity of the debate.
I reached out to Mr Casper on why he didn’t attend the event at the library and basically changed the question into Keith didn’t attend the chamber event? I’ve texted Mr Casper several times why he didn’t attend the event but either can’t/won’t/or unable to answer why? As of today, Mr Casper still has not answered why he didn’t attend the library event? Glad I was able to see the livestream event at the library!
Allen DeNormandie, the original event was meant to be a fair forum, moderated by a neutral party. However, Pekau refused to participate under the long-established rules set by the Chamber for such forums, leaving the Chamber with no choice but to cancel the event.
Instead, Pekau organized his own event, entirely controlled by his campaign. While he called it a forum, it was, in reality, nothing more than a campaign rally. It would be unreasonable to expect Dean Casper—or any member of Dodge’s team—to attend an event fully orchestrated by Dodge’s opponent.
Casper likely hasn’t responded to you because it should be clear why one candidate would decline to attend the other’s political event.
For a more objective perspective on the situation, I encourage you to read the
Orland Park Chamber of Commerce statement: https://orlandparkchamber.org/